Learners—During Learning

Participate actively in the course

The more actively you participate in course sessions, exercises and other interactions with trainers and fellow learners, the more knowledge you will acquire. Active participation allows you to draw from the experiences of others, clarify content, practice skills, and explore how you will apply the new skills in your job. Active participation includes:

• being on time for and actively engaged in all learning sessions including discussions, problem-solving exercises, team projects, and skill practice sessions
• asking questions about the course content as it relates to your specific job
• trying out new behaviors where appropriate during the course, and requesting feedback to improve your skills
• sharing your ideas and requesting feedback from trainers and other learners
• discussing challenges and questions individually with trainers when possible (e.g., after class, during breaks, in between sessions, during site visits).

Additional mechanisms that can promote your active involvement in the course include:

• Identifying one or more learners (buddies) with whom you can complete assignments, share ideas, and discuss what you are learning. It’s helpful to exchange ideas about how new skills can best be used in your job and to practice the skills that are applicable. A "buddy" relationship is most effective between co-workers or others with whom you can make a commitment to have an ongoing connection that will permit you to support each other after the training event. Linking with a learning buddy who is your co-worker allows you to identify important performance goals as a team and create a joint action plan for application at your work site, including details on how your plan will be shared with your supervisor and other co-workers. Other post-training support may come from professional associations and formal peer associations.
• Writing reflections about what you are learning. Making notes in a learning journal can help you retain knowledge and skills, share the most relevant information from training with your supervisor, and focus on the best ways to implement new practices at work. Your trainer may give you opportunities to write in your learning journal during the training sessions. In your journal, you can also keep track of problems and questions that you want to pursue with the trainer or other learners and make notes about the support and resources you think you will need to put new skills into practice. If you add to your journal throughout the training program, you can use it as a reference when you complete and implement your action plan.

Develop realistic action plans for transferring learning

The preliminary action plan developed with your supervisor—or the discussions that you and your supervisor had regarding expectations for the training—provide the foundation for your action plan. If your preliminary action plan was not a formal document, ask your trainer to provide you with guidelines and a format for developing a written action plan or refer to the sample plan * (19k) in Adobe Acrobat format. Refer to your learning journal and use what you have learned from your participation in the course as a basis for refining your action plan. Most action plans incorporate areas for improvement (describing measurable and achievable goals and objectives), anticipated problems or barriers you will overcome, and specific actions to be taken. For each action, identify the person responsible, any resources needed, a target date for completion, and changes you expect to occur as a result of the action. Some of the actions may highlight additional skills practice or self-development activities to help you reach your goal.

As you prepare to implement your action plan, consider using the following techniques:

• If feasible, make plans to have a trainer visit your work site or be available to consult with you and your supervisor after training to help facilitate implementation of your action plan.
• Try to anticipate potential areas of resistance (e.g., from supervisors, co-workers or administrative staff) or barriers at your work site (e.g., logistical or supply and equipment problems).
• With your trainer or a learning buddy, brainstorm about how these barriers can be overcome and determine what resources and types of support are needed to surmount the obstacles.
• Include the steps identified for overcoming barriers in your action plan.

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*To view the file, you need to download and install the free Adobe^® Acrobat^® Reader software. For the latest version of the Reader software for a variety of platforms, see the Adobe website.